Twins in Love
by FlameAlchemistLove
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin have always been in perfect tune with each other. But when a new girl, the sole heir to the Stallion family with a mysterious background, shows up at Ouran Academy, will both twins ever be able to sort out their feelings for the girl and protect each other from them-without losing it? Contains much snuggling between twins, no twincest, Kaoru x OC
1. Chapter 1

As he collapsed on the soft futon in their bedroom, Kaoru couldn't help but sigh. Hikaru heard this.

"What's wrong, Kaoru?" he asked, turning his head over his shoulder.

"Mmm, I'm just tired," the youngest twin said, closing his eyes and rocking his head back to rest on the plush top of the furniture piece.

"Don't worry, Kaoru," Hikaru said gently, smiling teasingly. "I'll help you get to sleep tonight.

This teased a tiny, half-hearted smile from Kaoru.

Hikaru could tell his brother was more tired than he let on. With a soft laugh, Hikaru sat down beside his brother. He rested his chin on the identical boy's head and sighed through his nose. He closed bright golden eyes and smirked a bit. "Hey, have you heard?"

"Heard what?" Kaoru said, turning his head and pressing his face into his brother's neck.

"There's a new girl transferring to our school tomorrow," Hikaru replied, shifting so that his brother could lean more comfortably against him. "You know the Stallion family?"

"Yeah. They're in close cahoots with the Suou and Ootori families, if I'm not mistaken, right?"

"So I've heard." Hikaru laughed a bit. "I wouldn't mind having a powerful asset like that associated with the Hitachiins."

"But anyway, about the new student." Kaoru blew out a warm breath against Hikaru's neck, his arms going around his brother's torso. He snuggled closer into the warmth of Hikaru's embrace. "What's her name?"

"I don't know." With one hand, Hikaru reached for his laptop sitting on the futon on Kaoru's other side. The youngest twin shifted and hauled himself up onto Hikaru's lap, sitting with his head against the other dusty-haired teen's shoulder. One arm still around his brother, Hikaru typed quickly with one hand, pulling up the Ouran Academy records.

Kaoru opened his eyes, drowsy, and glanced at the screen as Hikaru sat back. "Megan, is that it?" he mumbled, holding his brother closer and closing his eyes again, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep like this.

"According to this, she's the sole heir to the Stallion family business and fortune," Hikaru read, leaning his head gently against his brother's. "She's only part Stallion on her father's side."

"Part?" Kaoru said, voice drifting off, only half-listening. "What about her mother?"

"It doesn't say," Hikaru said, humming a bit as he typed some more. Kaoru felt the soft vibrations run through his brother's chest and smiled against his neck. "It just says she's Stallion on her father's side. She was home-schooled until now, and is transferring into Class 1A tomorrow."

"Mmm, that's our class," Kaoru replied, voice hardly coherent with sleep. "Is she pretty?"

"Her ID picture isn't up yet," Hikaru said, closing the windows and shutting his laptop gently. "Kaoru, come on. Let's get you into bed."

But Kaoru was already asleep.

**~*~*~The Next Day~*~*~**

Kaoru stretched and tugged on his Ouran Academy tie, slim lips parting in a yawn. They were in the back of their car, both twins still partially asleep, on their way to the academy for another day of classes, learning, and the Host Club.

"At least there's one good thing about today," Hikaru said tiredly, leaning his head on his brother's and letting the younger dusty-haired boy snuggle closer, holding onto his arm.

"What's that?" Kaoru questioned sleepily.

"That new girl'll show up today."

Despite his exhaustion, Kaoru smiled. He had met the head of the Stallion family, President Hunter Stallion, a few months back with his brother at a gathering the Ouran Academy had hosted. He had been seeking to do business with the Ootori family and had had to ask the twins where Kyoya had been. He'd had light brown hair and sparkling green eyes behind light-rimmed glasses, his eyes not too different from Tamaki's—if Tamaki's were green, that is. A tall, thin—almost sallow—man, Kaoru had almost laughed himself to death at thinking that this, as he had jokingly labeled the president, 'scrawny stick' could be head of one of the most successful businesses in the country.

Kaoru did laugh now, at wondering, if the father was tall, thin, and dark-haired, would his daughter be as well?

"What's gotten you so joyful all of a sudden?" Hikaru asked, lovingly tickling his brother's side. Kaoru laughed harder and tried to squirm away.

"Nothing," Kaoru said through short breaths. "H-Hikaru, quit tickling me!"

This only seemed to encourage the other boy, and Hikaru took it to his advantage to push his brother over backwards and assume a dominant position, pinning his hands to the seat with one hand and tickling him with the other.

"Something's on your mind," Hikaru taunted as Kaoru laughed, yelped, squealed, and squeaked beneath him, squirming and gasping for air. "Tell me what it is!"

"H-Hikaru, I c-can't hardly br—eathe with you—tickling—me!" Kaoru managed to gasp out, kicking his feet and laughing, attempting to no prevail to twist away, tears forming in his eyes. "_Hikaruuuuuuuuuu!_"

"I'll stop when you tell me what's on your mind," Hikaru promised, smirking, unable to hold back a laugh. "And quit your shrieking! You sound like you're being murdered!" he laughed.

"You kn-know I'm ticklish!" Kaoru cried through a laugh, twisting and managing to get one hand free, clutching at his brother's wrist. He took a gasp of air. "Why do you torture me like this?"

"Because it's fun," Hikaru said, pulling his hand free and preparing to tickle his brother again.

The driver suddenly slammed on his brakes and sent both twins, sprawled across the back seat, plummeting ungracefully to the floor, limbs tangled, as they knocked heads painfully.

"What's the deal?" they both shouted, struggling to sit up. Kaoru dimly noticed a red mark on the side of Hikaru's forehead. He knew he had an identical one, which would more than likely bruise before the day was out.

"Pardon me, young masters," the driver called back, "but the cars in front of the academy seem to be at a standstill."

Rolling down the window, both twins stuck their heads out.

A girl with blonde hair was standing beside the Stallion family president, who was speaking to the headmaster. A long silver limo was parked in front of the gates to the school, the back door open. Her straight blonde locks came down to her waist with her bangs twisted neatly back against her head. She held her hands tenderly behind her back, looking mortified.

A footstep sounded from behind the twins' car. "Hey, guys," Haruhi said, curious. "What's going on?"

"How the hell should we know?" they said in unison.

"Kaoru, why do you look like you've been crying?" she asked suddenly.

Face blazing crimson with heat, Kaoru ducked back into the car, cursing his brother, and scrubbed at his eyes.

"That's the new girl, I suppose," Hikaru said to Haruhi. "Her name's Megan Stallion. She transferred into our class today."

"Did she?"

"She's the sole heir to the Stallion family business and fortune," Hikaru continued as Kaoru, eyes dry and face slowly losing heat, poked his head back out the window. "She's supposed to be nice."

The door to the car in front of them opened and a tall blue-eyed blonde stepped out, briefcase held gently in one hand, as he said something to the driver and shut the door. The car, careful of the Hitachiin vehicle behind it, pulled away and drove off.

Tamaki jogged back to the twins and Haruhi, smiling. Two cars in front of where the Suou car pulled away, Kyoya stepped from his family's car, nodded to the driver, and shut the door before he left.

"This is interesting," Kyoya said as he approached the other hosts.

Hikaru opened the door and stepped out as Kaoru said to their driver, "We're fine from here. Go back to the mansion."

"Of course, sir."

Once the door had shut behind the twins, the car revved a bit and drove away. All along the line of cars, other students were getting out and dismissing their drivers. Cars pulled away for their respective mansions left and right.

"What's interesting?" Hikaru asked Kyoya as they were joined by Mori and Honey.

"That's the Stallion family head, if I'm not mistaken," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses back up his nose with his index and middle fingers of the hand that was not holding his black buckled briefcase. "I was not aware that the Stallion family had an heir."

"They didn't until about fifteen years ago," Honey said, looking up with big eyes as he clutched Usa-chan closer. "Apparently, the girl is the daughter of the Stallion head and a woman he met on one of his expeditions to Europe. Once she was born, he brought her back to Japan and raised her as the heir to his family. They never speak of her mother." He looked up at Mori. "It's sad, isn't it, Takashi? She doesn't know her mother."

"Yeah," came the noncommittal murmur.

It wasn't long before the bells began to ring, the Stallion head and the headmaster bid each other farewell, and some of the students dared begin to approach the gate. As the tall man slipped back into the white limo and it drove away, the blonde girl shyly followed the headmaster, looking around at the assembled students in embarrassment.

It wasn't until Hikaru nudged him in the ribs did Kaoru realize he was staring at her retreating figure. He looked up at his brother.

"What?" he asked.

"You're staring," Hikaru taunted. Kaoru swung his briefcase at his brother, blushing madly. Laughing, Hikaru dodged the badly aimed hit and took off toward the school, a deeply embarrassed Kaoru chasing him with shouts of empty threats.

The rest of the hosts, laughing, chased the twins with Tamaki in the lead.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Ball!

After a long, hard class, during which Hikaru had passed many notes to Kaoru-most of which had to do with him and the new girl, Megan, and a number of obscenities that Kaoru wanted to murder Hikaru for-the Host Club was a relaxing day at the beach for Kaoru.

Or so it began.

All dressed in butlers' uniforms, the Host Club was doing the ladies well, serving them tea and any number of snacks and sweets when the door opened and Kaoru heard a voice say, "And this is music room #3, where the elegant Host Club spends their time."

Kaoru turned his head. A third-year girl, one arm around the shoulders of the new girl, was gesturing broadly toward the room. The blue-eyed blonde took in the place with one sweep of her eyes and merely said, "Hmm."

Tamaki, upon sensing a new lady, set his tea tray down and was about to approach her. Kaoru turned away and began to walk. He was the only one still close enough, however, to hear her next comment.

"This is the illustrious Host Club? Seems to me like a place for boys with no other friends to hang out."

Kaoru tripped a bit. One of his hands tightened on the tray while the other slipped as he lost his balance and landed hard on the ground. The tea tray, unbalanced, struck the edge of the table beside him and overturned. Hot tea splashed across his left hand and his outfit. He gasped in pain.

One of the porcelain cups on the table, knocked over by the sudden collision, fell from the table and struck the floor by his hand, shattering. Sharp-edged shards of porcelain danced across Kaoru's hand, drawing thin cuts that began to bleed. He cried out unintentionally.

"Kaoru!"

Hikaru dropped his tea tray haphazardly on the table in front of him and ran across the room, hitting his knees beside where his brother was cradling his cut and burnt hand. "Kaoru, are you okay?" he asked, his hands gently pulling Kaoru's uninjured one away. He gasped softly at the injuries.

"You're such a klutz, Kaoru," Hikaru whispered, bringing his injured hand to his lips and kissing one of the cuts. "Come on, let's get you some bandages. You clumsy Kaoru."

As he stood up, Kaoru looked down at his tea-stained outfit. Hikaru seemed to read his mind.

"Don't worry about it," the older twin whispered, trembling slightly. "I'll help you change into something dry."

Kaoru leaned into his brother's touch, still cradling his injured hand, as he felt an arm go around his shoulders and pull him away. He could still feel Hikaru trembling, and when he looked up, his eyes were shadowed by his hair.

_He can't have been that worried about me...right?_

**~*~*~A Few Days Later, Music Room 3~*~*~**

Kaoru almost fell over from the weight of the box in his arms and the shock as Tamaki's words registered. Hikaru put one hand on his chin and cocked an eyebrow. Kyoya pushed his glasses back up his nose, obviously unsurprised. Mori's stoic features remained the same. Honey giggled excitedly. Haruhi did a double-take. Tamaki, realizing that he had all the hosts' attention, chuckled and spun in a circle, sparkling as he put his hands on his hips.

"You heard me right," he said jovially. "The Host Club is hosting a ball with the assistance of the rest of Ouran Academy." A flick of his wrist and he held a rose between his fingers. "It's our job, after all, as Ouran's Host Club to make everyone happy."

"Didn't it used to be every _girl_?" Hikaru and Kaoru said. The youngest twin set the cumbersome box in his arms down and allowed Hikaru to put one arm on his shoulder, leaning on him.

"That was a rule," Tamaki dismissed lightly, "and rules are meant to be changed."

"Actually, Boss," Hikaru butted in, "the saying is 'Rules are meant to be _broken_'. Besides, this ball seems like a problematic, unnecessary indulgence that we don't have time to fund right now. Exams are just around the corner, and my grades in English leave something to be desired."

"Hikaru does have a point, Tamaki," Kyoya said after a quiet pause. "Maybe the ball should wait until after exam week."

"Ah, but you don't understand," the violet-eyed blonde said with a self-satisfied smirk. "It _is_ after exam week. The first Saturday after exam week is over, from six p.m. until midnight. All of the families in the academy are invited." He laughed. "And of course, the Host Club will be in charge of the preparations and spreading the word."

Kaoru counted on his slim fingers. "But boss, how are we supposed to host a six-hour long ball after pulling all-nighters studying for exams?" he questioned.

"You will not be waking me up early, Tamaki," Kyoya warned, "to prepare for this frivolous thing."

"I understand, I understand," Tamaki soothed, holding out both hands in a 'hush' motion. "We'll get it ready!" He dropped a glittery wink. "I promise."

**~*~*~The Saturday after Exams, Hitachiin Limo~*~*~**

"Hah!" Kaoru said with a laugh as he recalled this incident, cut off as Hikaru's hand slipped and the tie jerked up harder than necessary, choking off his words. "Ow, Hikaru!"

"Sorry, Kaoru," Hikaru replied, loosening his twin's black tie and pulling it gently into place, smiling. They were wearing identical tuxedoes and sitting in the backseat of the Hitachiin limo, on their way to the majestic ballroom in Ouran Academy. It was the Saturday night after exam week, and the sun was setting on what had been a warm, lazy day for the twins. They had made up excuses so that they wouldn't be rushed and pushed to make final preparations for a ball that they, truly, had not liked the idea of to begin with.

"You ready for this, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked, jolting the younger twin out of his thought train.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded, smiling. "It'll be fun."

Once they had pulled up to the academy, a fancily-dressed blonde in a white, sparkling tux opened the door for the twins before they had even begun to move. Tamaki bent down and smiled in at them.

"Welcome, boys," he said as they stepped out of the car and it pulled away. "You two ready to go inside?"

"As we'll ever be," they said in unison.


	3. Chapter 3 - Dances and Sickness

Inside, they found the rest of the hosts making final preparations before the guests had arrived.

Kyoya was in a tuxedo matching Tamaki's and holding a clipboard, pointing and talking to some of the workers, who carried tables and chairs to an adjoining room. Honey was sitting at one of the tables already with Mori standing close by, both in black and silver tuxedoes. The small blonde was clutching his bunny and eating a random piece of cake. Haruhi was examining the buffet, occasionally pointing to something and asking a question to a worker behind the bar. She had on a strapless, silvery and sparkling floor-length gown, with one side brushing the ground while the other was pulled up near her hip, exposing one of her legs. Her silver heels with the tall straps sparkled in the bright lighting and the dying rays of the setting sun.

Tamaki smiled at them. "You two missed out on a good time today," he said with a sigh. "You should have been here."

"We had a pretty good day ourselves," Hikaru and Kaoru muttered under their breaths.

"What was that?" Tamaki questioned.

"Oh…Nothing."

"When people start arriving," he said, all business, "we're going to take shifts as to who will be greeting. You two will take charge for the first hour." He smiled at their thunder-struck look. "Don't worry, it'll fly by."

_Fly by, my ass!_

"Welcome, Mrs. Nokawa," Kaoru said, taking her hand gently in his. "May I say you are looking fine this evening? Please, enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, Mr. Hitachiin," she said with a smile back, passing into the room. Kaoru risked a glance at the silver, ruby-studded watch on his wrist. An hour had almost passed. Their shift was almost over. He heard Hikaru greeting people on the other side of the wide ballroom doors.

"Aren't you going to greet me?"

Kaoru snapped his head up.

Megan Stallion stood there, smiling. A blue silk scarf was draped gently over her shoulders, and some of her slim fingers bore diamond-studded rings. She wore a night blue dress that flared at the bottom with a single strap across her right shoulder. Sparkles coated the chest down to her waist, where the crimped skirt rippled around her legs. A pair of silver flats with straps weaving up her shins and locking around her calf caught the ever-changing lighting of the ballroom elegantly. On her right wrist, she wore three green bangles and two silver ones, and two red and blue ones on her left. Her hair fell in gentle curls around her face and down her back, with her bangs pinned back in a braid woven with a single strand of navy blue string.

Kaoru took her left hand in his right one and brought it to his lips, brushing a feather-light kiss against the skin. "How are you this evening, Miss Stallion?" he said, sparkling as he put on that Host Club charm. "You're looking beautiful. I like what you've done with your hair."

"Thank you…"

"Hitachiin," he said. "Kaoru Hitachiin."

"Thank you, Kaoru."

He was thrown for a moment. He had not expected her to call him Kaoru—normally, he was referred to as Mr. Hitachiin. But he liked the way she said his name, with the slightest accent on the 'r'.

"My pleasure entirely," he said, gesturing her in with a sweep of one arm. Hikaru shot him a glance as he greeted another guest inside.

With a smile and a small laugh, Megan winked at Kaoru and slipped into the ballroom.

**~*~*~**  
Once they had been relieved by Tamaki and Kyoya, Hikaru pulled Kaoru aside and looked at him with eyes sparkling with laughter.

"I didn't miss the way you looked her over, Kaoru," he said.

"Hmm? Looked who over?" Kaoru asked innocently.

"You know _exactly_ who I'm talking about," Hikaru taunted.

"Do not," Kaoru insisted indignantly, turning on his heel and heading for the buffet. "Are you coming to get some food or will I have to eat alone, Hikaru?"

Kaoru looked at his watch and glanced at his brother. Hikaru was dancing—in Kaoru's mind, a bit too close—with Megan. He stared at them for a moment before he suddenly got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head and watched them break apart as the song ended.

He heard a footstep behind him just after he turned away.

"Kaoru?" Hikaru asked. Strong arms wrapped around his stomach, pulling him back against a lean figure. His twin's breath stirred his hair as Kaoru felt his brother lean in, lips brushing his ear. "You okay?"

Kaoru felt the feeling in his stomach twist and grow stronger. It was as if a dragon in his chest was snarling fury at his brother. Feeling suddenly furious, Kaoru pulled away.

"I'm fine," he said, harsher than he had intended. "I'll be right back."

Spinning away from his brother, Kaoru pounded toward the bathroom. His stomach began churning nastily the closer he got. Pushing between Tamaki and a young girl talking, Kaoru put on a burst of speed and burst into the restroom. Thankfully, it was empty except for himself.

_Dammit, shouldn't have eaten so much seafood at the buffet_, was his only thought as Kaoru hit his knees, bent double over a toilet, and was sick.

He heard the door open and footsteps hurried to his side. A slim hand stroked his back and a soft voice whispered soothingly to him. Thinking it was Hikaru, Kaoru tried weakly to hit him away after the contents of his stomach had made a vulgar reappearance.

"Quit that, Kaoru," Tamaki said, catching his hand. His violet eyes wavered with concern. "Where's Hikaru?"

"How should I know?" Kaoru yelled, feeling tears fill his eyes. Tamaki urged him to his feet and half-supported him to the chairs across the bathroom, gently making him sit. Kaoru wiped a bit of saliva off of his chin with a badly shaking hand.

Tamaki went to the sink and filled a small cup with cold water, bringing it back to the youngest twin, who was trembling, and not just with the sour taste in his throat. He held out the cup. "Here. Try to drink this."

Kaoru took a tentative sip as Tamaki sat beside him. A single tear fell down his cheek. The pianist brushed it away with feather-light fingers.

"What's wrong, Kaoru?" he asked.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I don't...even know anymore. One minute I was watching Hikaru and the Stallion girl, Megan, dance and then, when Hikaru tried to talk to me, I just got really mad at him and took off."

At the recollection, the dragon in Kaoru's chest snarled rage.

His fingers clenched tight around the paper cup. Water splashed onto the elegant tile floor. Tamaki sighed softly.

"I think I just ate too much shrimp or something tonight," Kaoru said, trying to be optimistic. He really could not think of another reason he would be so furious at his brother for absolutely no reason.

Then he recalled a time, back during their summer break, when they had stayed at Pension Misuzu in Karuizawa with Haruhi.

_(Kaoru's Flashback to Episode 17) _

_"She's got plenty of friends," Hikaru sneered at taken-aback Arai, "so she doesn't need you around, gettit?"_

_Haruhi's palm cracked across his cheek with an audible smack. Kaoru gasped. Hikaru froze, eyes huge._

_"That's not something for you to decide, Hikaru!" Haruhi shouted, "I'm not going to tolerate you insulting my friends anymore, you got that?!"_

_Hikaru was silent for a moment before he lowered his head. Kaoru was the only one who could tell he was seething and on the brink of tears from fury._

_"But why?" he said, voice trembling. "Why should anyone else even matter to you?" Hikaru rocketed to his feet, advancing a single step on Haruhi. One hand slammed hard against the countertop. "I thought we were your friends! Are we or aren't we?!"_

_Haruhi couldn't speak, couldn't move._

_Slowly, Kaoru stood. He could see the angry flush on Hikaru's cheeks, the way he was just barely fighting back tears._

_A sound like a strangled sob escaped from Hikaru's chest an instant before he turned and bolted away, shoving past Tamaki._

_"Hikaru, wait for me!" Kaoru shouted, taking off after him._

_(End Kaoru's Flashback)_

Kaoru wiped at one eye. "Tamaki," he said very quietly, "what's wrong with me?"

"That's easy, Kaoru." The violet-eyed blonde smiled. "You're in love with her and you're mad at Hikaru for trying to get to her first."

Kaoru bit the inside of his cheek. "But why was I so furious at Hikaru? I never get mad at him."

"Kaoru, you're so innocent," Tamaki laughed quietly. "You're jealous that Hikaru got his hands on her first and not you."

These words had just escaped Tamaki when the door burst open and Hikaru's worried voice said, "Kaoru! I've been looking everywhere for you! Are you okay?"

"Just be honest with him," Tamaki breathed an instant before Hikaru rushed to his twin's side and knelt in front of him, one hand cupping his cheek, the other around his back.

"You're so pale," he whispered. "Do you feel okay?"

"He got sick a few minutes ago," Tamaki said. "He said he felt like he ate too much." Tamaki stood. "I'd better go. I left a lovely young lady wondering where I must have gotten off to." He winked at them both and departed.

Hikaru sat up on the chair beside Kaoru and pulled him close against his chest. "Kaoru?" he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I hate you, Hikaru," Kaoru whispered into his shoulder, putting his arms around his twin's neck and holding him tight. "I hate you so, so much."

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru tightened his grip on his twin, feeling his eyes burn. _What if she's already fallen for Hikaru? What if they're in love and...I'm left on my own? Without her _or_ my brother?_

He buried his face in Hikaru's neck and began to cry.


	4. Chapter 4 - Kaoru's Lovesick

"Hikaru!"

He turned. Megan danced around a couple talking and holding small glasses of wine and approached the eldest twin.

"Where's Kaoru?" she asked. "Is he okay?"

"He's not feeling well," Hikaru told her. "We're going to head back to the mansion."

"That's a shame," she sympathized. "Is he waiting in your car?"

"Yes; I was just coming in to tell Tamaki we were retiring early tonight. Did you want to see him?"

"I would like to before you left," Megan replied. "Would you mind walking me out to the car?"

"Of course not, young lady."

**In the Hitachiin Limo**

"Are you feeling any better, Mr. Hitachiin?" the driver asked.

Kaoru, with his head leaning against the window, eyes closed, his brother's suit jacket over his shoulders, let out a soft murmur.

"Would you like some water or anything?" he asked.

"No, thank you, Sebastian," he mumbled. "I just want to get home so I can sleep."

"It seems your brother is coming back," Sebastian said after a moment.

Hikaru opened the door and said, "Kaoru? I think you forgot to say good-bye to someone."

Kaoru raised his head and looked over.

Megan, bent at the waist, was smiling at him. "How are you feeling, Kaoru?" she asked.

"Oh—Miss Stallion," he said, letting Hikaru's suit jacket lay on the seat as he scooted across the back seat and climbed shakily out of the car.

Hikaru's fingers ghosted across his jaw and he said, "I didn't get a chance to talk to Tamaki while I was in there," he said. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay."

Kaoru leaned against the back of the car, massaging one temple as he smiled tiredly at the young girl in front of him. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I'm really not feeling well. I didn't mean to inconvenience you." He suddenly grew fascinated in the bell tower. "If you want Hikaru to stay behind, I'm sure he wouldn't object if you asked him to."

"I will miss the two of you," she admitted, "but I wouldn't make Hikaru stay behind and worry the night away about you for my own selfish reasons, Kaoru."

A dim headache began to pulse behind Kaoru's eyes. He pressed the fingers of one hand to his forehead, closing his eyes and inclining his head. His tux was suddenly way too hot.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he said after a moment. "Just a bit…lightheaded, that's all."

"I should leave you alone then," Megan replied. "You'll probably feel better sitting down." She stretched up and brushed a feather-light kiss on his cheek. "I hope you get well soon, Kaoru." She smiled at the blushing twin, whose golden eyes met hers. "I actually requested to sit with yourself and Hikaru at the Host Club on Monday."

A footstep sounded from behind her. Hikaru walked up to them and took Megan's hand, kissing it in a gentleman-like manner. "I hope you have a wonderful night without us," he said, winking at her. Kaoru couldn't help but smirk.

"I suppose I must try my best," she said with a dramatic sigh, smiling. "Get better, Kaoru," she added. She gave him a small wave before turning and heading back into the academy.

"Come on, Kaoru," Hikaru said, climbing into the car and pulling his twin after him. The door shut and Sebastian started the car, clicking on the headlights. Kaoru, exhausted and still feeling sick, lay down with his head on his brother's lap and one arm curled under his head, closing his eyes.

"Are you tired?" Hikaru asked gently, pulling his tux jacket over the younger Hitachiin.

"No," Kaoru tried to lie as the car pulled away. The words hardly made it past his tired lips.

He was asleep before they hit the main road.

**The Next Day, Hitachiin Manor**

The next day, Hikaru sat on the edge of the bed beside his brother and stroked his hair gently as the sick twin slept, cheeks flushed, curled up around a pillow and trembling with chills.

"Sir?"

Hikaru looked up. The twin maids were peeking in the door.

"You have a visitor," they said. "The head of the Stallion family."

Hikaru looked down at himself, springing from the bed. In comfortable sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, he was hardly presentable.

"Tell him I'll be right down," he said before taking off for his closet.

As he pounded down the stairs, Hikaru fumbled to button his white button-up, the cuffs buttoned at his wrists. The Stallions, being one of the richest families with one of the thickest, highest-ranked lineages in Japan, demanded attentiveness and a good presentation.

Hikaru paused outside the doors to the lounge to clear his throat, smooth his hair, straighten his shirt and jeans, and check his reflection in one of the silver handles before pushing inside.

Mr. Stallion turned and rose, smiling. "Ah, Mr. Hitachiin. Hikaru, I presume? My daughter explained to me how young Kaoru fell ill last night. Is he doing well?"

"He's sleeping right now," Hikaru said, shaking the older man's hand. They were nearly the same height—and by Hikaru's standards, he was average height, although Hikaru and Kaoru were both five-ten. "I'm afraid he won't be present. May I offer you a drink or something to eat, sir?"

"I'll take a small glass of brandy, if you have any."

Hikaru twisted his wrist and snapped his fingers. The twin maids behind him bowed slightly before departing for the kitchen. As Mr. Stallion took his place sitting back on the couch, Hikaru stood on the other side of the table, hands locked behind his back.

"May I inquire as to what brings you to our mansion this morning, Mr. Stallion?" he asked.

"You must know from your friends Tamaki and Kyoya that the Stallion family is closely affiliated with their businesses and families, yes?" He smiled at Hikaru. "I do not quite know why I have not spoken to your brother before now about something like this."

The maids reappeared with a single glass of brandy on a tray, beside one of a darker liquid. Hikaru took it and sipped before smiling childishly into his glass. He hated having such a childish indulgence at a business meeting, but he did have to admit—Karuizawa's fresh fruit juice always forced him to have another glass.

**Kaoru**

Kaoru rolled over and opened his eyes slightly. "Hikaru?" he whispered hoarsely. There was no response.

He sat up. The room was empty, the lights off. A folded piece of paper sat on the bedside table, beside Kaoru's phone. He picked it up, already feeling lightheaded from sitting up, and lay back down, flipping open the note and waiting for his eyes to adjust to the meager light in the room.

_Kaoru_

_I'm sorry I'm not up here with you. The head of the Stallion family is downstairs, and I'm down there with him. I don't know how long we'll be. Megan said her father isn't one to waste time, so it shouldn't take long, but I'm just downstairs if you need anything. I'll be back up as soon as I can._

_Hikaru_

He had just finished reading the note and set it back on the bedside table when the door opened and a soft voice whispered, "You awake, Kaoru?"

"Yeah," he murmured, closing his eyes. The door opened a bit wider before shutting. Soft feet paced across the room and a weight landed on the bed. He felt Hikaru's hand stroking his forehead and cheek.

"You're still warm," he said quietly. "I'll call for some more fever reducer. You think you can eat something? Some plain broth, maybe?"

"I'll try," he mumbled into the pillow, pulling it over his face. "What did Megan's father want?"

"Oh, that." Hikaru laughed. "It may interest you to know that the Hitachiins now have a new affiliate family."

Kaoru sat up, ignoring the way the room swam in front of him. One hand cupped his forehead. Hikaru scooted closer and pulled his twin against his chest. He had a white button-up shirt that was undone and untucked, hanging carelessly on his warm torso, the cuffs unbuttoned and hanging around his wrists.

"He came to ask us to affiliate with him?" Kaoru asked, resting his head on Hikaru's shoulder, his hands on his collarbones.

"Yeah," he said, "and he brought flowers. Megan told him how you weren't feeling well last night and he ordered us a bouquet of roses and lilies. It's really quite pretty. They're on the table in the lounge."

"Mmm."

His stomach rumbled slightly the more he thought about what broth tasted like. He figured it would taste like the spiced chicken they served at Ouran.

"I'll call down for some more fever reducer and some broth, okay?" Hikaru said. He laid his twin back down and covered him up, kissing his forehead lightly. "I'll be right back."

**A Little Later**

"Kaoru. Kaoru? Wake up."

He blinked sleepily. Hikaru looked at him with a tiny smile. "You fell asleep again," he said. "I've got the broth if you want to try some."

Kaoru struggled into a sitting position, taking the bowl from his brother and stirring it around with the spoon. Hikaru held out two small tablets.

"Here. These'll help take down your fever and settle your stomach."

Kaoru put the two pills on his tongue and swallowed them, chasing them down with a tentative spoonful of broth.

"You okay?" Hikaru asked. "Tamaki called to check on you a few minutes ago. He wanted to see if we would be at school tomorrow, or if they would have to close the Host Club."

Kaoru shook his head, but stopped when it began to throb. "I'll be fine," he said, taking another bite of the broth.

"I don't want to risk it," Hikaru said after a moment. "Maybe we should stay home tomorrow."

Kaoru paused, the spoon half-out of the bowl.

_"I hope you get well soon, Kaoru. I actually requested to sit with yourself and Hikaru at the Host Club on Monday."_

"Don't try to argue with me, Kaoru," Hikaru said, voice suddenly stern. "I see the look on your face. We'll stay home tomorrow just to make sure you're better before we head back. I don't want you getting sick at school."

"Fine," Kaoru relented, busying himself with another bite.


	5. Chapter 5 - An Eventful Afternoon

Tamaki, about to take another bite of his dinner, paused as one of his servants pushed into the room and bowed to himself and his father.

"Young master, you have a phone call," she said. "I told him that you were in dinner, but he said he must speak to you immediately."

Tamaki put his fork down and patted his lips with his napkin, a linen cloth with the Suou name embroidered into the corner. "Thank you, tell him I'll be there in just a moment."

As he stood up, Yuzuro Suou smiled at him from across the table.

"One of your friends, Tamaki?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, Father," he said, pushing his chair in gently. "It sounds important, though."

"Go on, son."

Tamaki left the room and followed the servant down the hall to the main lounge. She handed him the phone and departed with a bow.

Tamaki put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Boss. It's Hikaru." His voice was quiet and tired.

"Hey, Hikaru," he said, sitting on the edge of the table and picking at one of his nails. "You sound exhausted."

"I wore myself out looking after Kaoru today," he admitted with a sigh. "He's finally asleep. He wouldn't stop complaining at me. 'I'm cold, I'm hot, I don't have to stay home tomorrow'. I mean, he's sick. He'd be miserable at the Host Club."

"So the two of you won't be coming to school tomorrow?" Tamaki guessed.

"Who do you say the two of us?"

"Because you're joined at the hip," the French boy said. "If he stays home, you stay home. I'll call the others and let them know I'm closing the Host Club tomorrow."

"You—don't have to do that, Boss!" Hikaru said in shock.

"You two are the second most popular hosts," he responded, pulling himself up fully onto the table and kicking his legs under it, calves crossed. "I'm sure there would be plenty of young ladies disappointed if you two failed to show up."

"There'd be more disappointed if you closed it!"

"Mmm…Hikaru? Who're you talking to?"

Tamaki flinched at the sound of the raspy, tired voice from the other end of the line. "Is Kaoru awake?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hikaru replied, and spoke to his brother. "It's Tamaki. I was letting him know that we're staying home tomorrow. Don't you dare argue with me. It's only been two hours since you got sick. We're staying home."

"Tell him I said I hope he feels better," Tamaki put in, and listened as Hikaru relayed the message.

"Now lay down and go back to sleep."

"But it's too cold to sleep, Hikaru."

A soft, loving sigh. "Boss, I've gotta go. Just tell the others we won't be at school tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Alright, Hikaru," he said. "Feel better, Kaoru." He ended the call and held the phone in one hand while he dialed Kyoya's number. He had a feeling his dinner wouldn't get finished.

**Hitachiin Manor, 3:15 p.m.**

The next day, in the early afternoon, Kaoru woke with chills again. Hikaru had left another note.

_I'm taking a quick shower while you're napping. Don't panic, I'm not gone. I know how you are, Kaoru. There's an extra quilt on the end of the bed if you get cold._

_ Hikaru_

Kaoru let the paper drop onto the table as he stretched and grabbed the thick quilt. He draped it across his lap and pulled it up around his shoulders as he started to lay back down.

He heard footsteps in the hallway and paused. "Hikaru?" he called hoarsely. He broke off coughing. He hadn't been able to keep water down for the past ten or twelve hours. It might have been more. He didn't know. But his throat was dry. "Is that you?"

The door opened. "You sound horrible, Kaoru."

Tamaki stepped inside, smiling, followed by Kyoya, Honey, Mori, and a muttering Haruhi, who was holding a small bundle of black roses. Kaoru sat up.

"Hey, guys," he said, smiling a bit. "What're you all doing here?"

"We came to make sure you were doing okay, Kao-chan!" Honey said, hurrying to his bedside and smiling, holding Usa-chan to his chest. "How do you feel?"

"Not much better than I did yesterday, Honey-senpai, but Hikaru said my fever's gone down," Kaoru said with a weak shrug. He leaned back against the headboard and touched his fingers to his forehead.

"Tamaki said to bring flowers, so I bought a small bouquet at the market before I came," Haruhi added. "I didn't want to get anything huge."

"I brought cake!" Honey exclaimed. "Do you want some, Kao-chan? It's strawberry! I know how you and Hika-chan love strawberries!"

At the very mention of food, Kaoru's stomach lurched. He let out a forced chuckle. "It's a kind thought, Honey-senpai, but I haven't been able to keep anything down since yesterday afternoon. I'm sure Hikaru would like it though."

"Where_ is_ Hikaru?" Kyoya asked.

"He's in the shower," Kaoru replied. Haruhi leaned over his bed and felt his forehead.

"You still feel hot," she said. "Have you taken any fever reducer?"

"No," Kaoru replied. Kyoya sat on the edge of his bed and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "But I can't eat, either. I can't even keep water down."

"I'll get a cold compress, then," she said definitively. "I'll be right back."

She stepped out of their room and down the hall.

"Wait—do you even know where the bathroom is?" Kaoru tried to shout. His head throbbed and he groaned unintentionally.

"I'll find it!"

Kaoru talked with the Host Club for a bit, even after Haruhi came back with the cold compress and made him lay down while she fussed over him for a bit.

"Oh," a new voice said in a pause between sentences. "I didn't realize you had other visitors. I won't stay long then."

Megan stepped inside, her hands at her sides. She had a pink and black scarf wound around her neck, a pair of light denim jeans over black boots, and a white t-shirt under a black jacket.

Kaoru sat up fast. "Megan," he said, pulling the compress from his forehead, despite Haruhi's chirps of annoyance. He kicked away the blankets and swung his legs out of the bed.

"Do we have guests? Damn, this room is crowded." Hikaru, a fluffy white towel tied around his waist, stepped up behind Megan. He had a towel across his shoulders, one hand rubbing his wet hair, the other holding onto one end of the towel. "Kaoru, what are you doing—_Kaoru!_"

The younger Hitachiin had tried to stand up, but his legs, weak from lack of use, had refused to respond and given out. Hikaru shoved past Megan and caught his twin with a soft gasp.

"Dammit," Kaoru muttered as he sank to his knees on the floor, one hand fisting in his hair, the other flat on the ground. Hikaru knelt in front of him.

"You stupid moron," Hikaru snapped. "You've not gone any further than the bathroom since Saturday. What makes you think you can suddenly jump up like that? Stupid dummy."

Tamaki, Kyoya, and Mori, suddenly sensing that they were just going to be in the way after this, exchanged looks.

"Ah, damn," Tamaki said, scratching the back of his head. "I just remembered. I have a bunch of trigonometry homework."

"As do I," Kyoya replied.

"Mitsukuni, you and I are due at the dojo," Mori said quietly.

Honey pouted.

Haruhi, catching on, stood up as well. "Dad wanted me to stop at the market and get some fresh fish for dinner," she said. "I should probably head home." She ruffled Kaoru's hair lightly. "Feel better, okay?"

Once they had all gone—except for Megan, who still lingered in the doorway—Hikaru stood and pulled his brother to his feet, making him lie back down on the bed.

"Are you okay, Kaoru?" she asked, hands behind her back as she walked up slowly. Hikaru turned to her and smiled.

"Megan," he said. "I need to get dressed anyway, so I'll leave you to take care of my brother. Don't let the moron stand up, hmm?" He pulled the blankets back over Kaoru and laid the cold compress on his forehead. "I'll be back in a minute, 'kay? I'm going get some clothes on and head outside to make sure the Boss's car didn't get stuck outside. It's snowing harder than before."

"M'kay."

**Hikaru**

"Hey, wait up!"

Kyoya turned. Hikaru, pulling on a blue vest over a white tank top and winding his scarf around his neck, pounded down the stairs. He called out to the others to wait and stood at the door, smiling at the elder twin.

"Megan and Kaoru seemed like they wanted to be alone, so I made the excuse of coming out to make sure the cars didn't get stuck," he said, shrugging. "Not too creative, but it seemed to convince Kaoru."

Honey bounced back inside, followed by Mori, Haruhi, and Tamaki. The latter ran a hand through his snow-dusted blonde locks, shedding snowflakes as he brushed off his sky-blue scarf with a French saying embroidered into the end.

"I lied about my trigonometry homework," he admitted. The others murmured embarrassed agreement.

"I suspected," Hikaru scolded lightly. "I saw that cake you brought, Honey-senpai. I won't be able to eat it alone. We can hang out in the lounge for a while and eat it if you all like. The way the snow is going, the roads will probably be bad. We have guest rooms if it would be simpler for you all to stay."

"Why not?" Tamaki said, shrugging delicately, sparkles flicking from his hair as he tossed his head and smiled, eyes sparkling. "Togetherness is the Host Club's number one ideal. And I'm sure that Kaoru would get better faster if we all were here!"

Haruhi put one hand to her face and sighed. Honey bounced around excitedly and squealed to Mori about a sleepover. Kyoya allowed the smallest smile. Hikaru laughed.

"I'll tell the maids to get the guest rooms ready," he said, turning. "C'mon—I'm sure Kaoru will be preoccupied for a while upstairs."


	6. Chapter 6 - Hikaru's Thoughts

**WARNING! Contains much fluffiness. Could cause severe nosebleeds and fangirl squealing. Read at your own risk.**

**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. You can't sue me for any damages or medical bills that come from reading this chapter.**

**~*~*~GET READY FOR CUTE KAWAIINESS~*~*~**

Megan sat lightly on the edge of Kaoru's bed and adjusted the cold compress so it rested gently on his forehead. "Are you feeling any better than Saturday, Kaoru?" she asked with a smile. He returned it slightly.

"I still can't eat much," he admitted, "and Hikaru made me stay home today because he said I still have a fever."

"That reminds me," she said, turning and opening her messenger bag, rummaging through it. She brought out two books and a few papers clipped together. "I got your and Hikaru's homework for you, so you would be caught up when you come back." She sat them on his bedside table. "There's not much. I decided to bring home one of each book since I figured you and Hikaru would share."

"That's sweet," Kaoru said, breaking off in a coughing fit, which he muffled with his palm.

"I should let you rest," she said, brushing some of his dusty brown hair away from his eyes as she stood. "I was going to see if you would be better by the end of the week, but I should ask on Friday, shouldn't I?" She laughed.

"Why?" Kaoru asked, pulling the covers down to his throat and looking up at her. She adjusted the compress again.

"I was going to go see a movie on Saturday, and I have two other tickets," she said, picking through her bag again and holding out three slips of paper. "My father said I could take two of my friends with me. I wondered if you and Hikaru would like to go, but if you're sick, I know Hikaru wouldn't want to go alone." Megan laid two tickets beside their homework books. "If you start feeling better, just call me or something, okay?" She smiled. "I don't want to worry about you when there's nothing to worry about."

For some reason, Kaoru felt his face heating up. "Okay," he said with a slight smile.

She took a couple steps toward the door but paused and looked back at him. "Oh, and Kaoru?"

"Yes?"

She bent over and kissed his cheek lightly. "Feel better, okay?"

"Okay." This time it came out as a squeak.

With a laugh and a wave, she left.

**With Hikaru**

Hikaru looked out the window to see a pure white limousine pull out of the Hitachiin driveway and turn onto the main road, driving away. He glanced at the others.

Honey was still eating as much of the cake that Mori would let him have his hands on. Tamaki was still playing at the grand piano, eyes closed, smiling. Kyoya was leaning against the piano, watching him and humming along with the tune. Haruhi was sitting beside Tamaki and watching him play.

_Megan must have left_, Hikaru thought. He set his plate of half-eaten cake on the table and stood from the couch. Kyoya noticed this.

"Where are you going, Hikaru?" he asked.

"I'm going to check on Kaoru," he replied. "Megan's car just left, so I'm going to make sure he's not trying anything stupid." With a laugh, he left the lounge and emerged into the silent hallway as the door clicked shut behind him.

The mansion was pretty quiet. His feet hardly made a sound as he paced toward the grand stairs, taking his time. His mother was off at one of her fashion shows. His father had gone with her. They had been gone about two weeks, and Hikaru was expecting them back at any time.

As he ascended the stairs, he couldn't help think about the Stallion girl.

While they had been dancing Saturday night—which Hikaru suspected was the source of Kaoru's sudden mood swing that night—she had spoken to him about Kaoru.

_"How did you know at a glance that I was Hikaru?" he asked when she finished a statement._

_ "You and Kaoru aren't as alike as you like to think," she admitted. "You two have a bunch of differences that set you apart. You come off stronger and more confident than Kaoru, and you accell in Foreign Language, where he does better in English and Modern Literature. You're always the first to speak and assert a sort of dominant stance over him in the Host Club, and he's shier and less assertive."_

_ "You can tell all that from only knowing us for two weeks?" Hikaru asked, impressed._

_ "And more," she said with a laugh as he caught her by the waist and spun her in a quick circle. "Can I tell you something—as long as you don't tell Kaoru?"_

_ "I won't."_

_ She smiled. "I think I'm falling for him."_

Hikaru shook his head as he started down the hall toward his and Kaoru's bedroom. "If he hasn't realized it by now," he murmured, pausing at the door, "then he's dumber than I suspected."

He knocked lightly and pushed into the room. "Kaoru, how are you—oh…"

Kaoru had fallen sound asleep, curled up with a pillow to his chest and two pieces of paper laying by his open hand, as if he had been holding them. Hikaru sat beside his brother, laid the compress more comfortably on his forehead, and picked up the slips of paper.

_Two tickets…to a movie? And it's set for Saturday evening, this weekend. Did Megan leave these?_

He glanced at their bedside table. Two homework books and a small stack of clipped papers lay stacked neatly.

"And she brought our homework too," he breathed with a smile. He looked down at his sleeping brother and gently stroked his cheek. "Megan, I think you're falling harder for Kaoru than you realize right now."

Kaoru moved under Hikaru's touch and murmured something into the pillow, smiling in his sleep. Hikaru smiled a bit more.

"Get some rest, Kaoru," he said gently. "I'm sure Megan wouldn't be the only disappointed one if you were too sick to make the movie."

He lay the tickets back on the bedside table and stood, heading out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

**:)**

**Did you enjoy the chapter? Are you still alive from the bloodloss you suffered at the twins' being innocent and adorable? Good.**

**Can't wait for chapter seven? Neither can I!-if I could get over my darn writer's block.**

**If anyone has any ideas for what can happen, PLEASE LET ME KNOW... I'm at such a loss...**


	7. Chapter 7 - Recovery and Nightmares

I got it edited as soon as possible...and I added some cute comfort at the end. Don't just skip there, because there's other things edited in here and there. It's pretty much the same thing, but with some more crap added. Let me know what you think of _this_ one!

* * *

Kaoru stifled a cough behind his hand, rubbing one eye sleepily. All he wanted was to crawl into a warm, dark place and sleep again. It was Thursday in the Host Club, and he was wearing a traditional Japanese kimono his mother had lent the seven members of the Host Club.

Hikaru, wearing a matching one, approached his brother and cupped his cheek in his palm. "You feeling okay, Kaoru?" he asked.

"Just a bit tired," Kaoru admitted.

"Do you want to lay down for a bit?" Hikaru asked. "I can hold up by myself for a bit."

"No," Kaoru replied. "I'm fine to host." He smiled. His vision swam. It was the first time since his almost-fall on Monday afternoon that he had been on his feet for more than fifteen minutes.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"I thought I just told you not to lie."

Tamaki poked his head into the back room in which the twins were standing. "The girls are coming. You two want to come on out?"

Kaoru stood. He swayed a bit, off balance. Hikaru let him lean on his shoulder as they walked out into the abandoned music room.

* * *

"Would you like some cake, Kaoru?"

"Ah? No, thank you, princess," Kaoru was forced to say with a smile. He took the girl's cheek in his palm. "I would accept, since you made it yourself, but I'm afraid Hikaru won't let me eat today."

"Of course I won't," Hikaru said, pulling his twin away from the girl and against his chest. He tangled one hand in Kaoru's hair and put one arm around his back, lowering his face so that their noses brushed. "You've been sick, Kaoru. I shouldn't have let you come today. You look like you don't feel well."

"I don't," Kaoru admitted, smiling.

"Well, we'll change that, hmm?" Hikaru replied, returning the smile. "Don't worry. I'll be your servant for tonight and make you feel better soon." He ran a finger down his cheek. "Maybe we need to call a doctor, hmm? Or would you rather I play doctor and touch you instead?"

"Hikaru, you're embarrassing me." Kaoru turned his face away, blushing. "You know I'd rather it be you…"

The girls shrieked with excitement.

* * *

It was a long day for Kaoru, and he collapsed against the wall once the last girl had left. He slumped to the floor and cradled his pounding head in one hand, closing his eyes.

He heard the rustle of fabric in front of him and felt Hikaru's hand on his other cheek, his other hand on his hip. "Kaoru?"

The younger Hitachiin didn't respond.

"Kaoru. Hey." Hikaru shook him gently. "Kaoru."

Kaoru forced his eyes open. "I'm fine," he rasped. "Just tired."

"Hey, Boss," Hikaru said without turning around, "can I go ahead and call the car so Kaoru and I can head on home? I don't want to keep him here since he's not feeling well."

"Of course, Hikaru," Tamaki started to say, but the door opened and shut and a girl's voice said, "Kaoru? How are you?"

Megan walked over to the twins. Kaoru struggled to his feet and leaned against the wall, smiling at her.

"You're still not feeling well," she said. It wasn't a question—she was merely stating a fact. Tamaki, Kyoya, and Mori disappeared into the changing room, Haruhi and Honey following on their heels.

"I'm a bit better," he said softly. "But I still can't eat much."

"The most he can keep down is plain toast and some broth," Hikaru added.

"Oh, that's too bad," Megan said, looking purely disappointed. "I guess you won't be able to make the movie on Saturday? Don't lie to me, Kaoru," she added as he opened his mouth. "Just by looking at you, if you get any worse, you'll be dead by Saturday. I'll come by your place Saturday morning to check on you, if you like."

* * *

That night, Hikaru stepped out of the shower to soft whimpers and cries coming from the bedroom. He became worried and, hastily tying the towel around his waist, rushed into the twins' bedroom.

Kaoru was twisted in the sheets, one hand fisted in the pillow under his head, the other knotted in the blankets. His eyes were shut tight, his face pale.

"N-No, Hikaru! Stop! Stop it! D-Don't—quit! Hikaru!" he cried. "Hi-Hikaru! _Don't hurt my brother!_"

The aforementioned twin was across the room in less than half a dozen steps and kneeling beside his brother, shaking his shoulder. "Kaoru. Kaoru, wake up. You're dreaming. Kaoru!"

His golden eyes flew wide and he gasped, chest heaving. Upon seeing Hikaru, he lashed out, twisting away. "Don't touch me!"

Hikaru grabbed his shoulders and slammed the younger twin against the mattress. "Dammit, Kaoru, look at me," he said, pinning the other boy down. "Kaoru, hey, calm down. Don't panic. You're okay. You were dreaming."

Kaoru stilled, looking up with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Oh, God, Hikaru." His voice broke on a sob.

Hikaru sat up and pulled his younger half against his chest and held him tight, rocking him slowly, almost unnoticeably, as Kaoru clung to his brother and sobbed into his shoulder, stammering apologies the entire time until Hikaru managed to hush them into silence.

It was a good half-hour before Hikaru could get Kaoru calmed down enough so he could pull away.

"You okay?" he whispered. Kaoru shook his head, closing his eyes tight. "Hey, look at me, 'kay? What were you dreaming about?"

Kaoru jammed his fist against his mouth, tears filling his eyes. "It was you and M-Megan and the other hosts… You were all h…mm…hurt, and there was s-someone else, and I couldn't—do anything. And he k-killed—" He choked on a sob. "God, Hikaru, I thought you were him…"

"It's okay, Kaoru," Hikaru said gently, pulling his twin back in and holding him gently as Kaoru hugged him close. He rested his head against Kaoru's and hummed a familiar song quietly.

Kaoru let out the softest noise. "That was my favorite song when we were younger," he said in a quaking voice. "You still remember it?"

"I couldn't forget it," Hikaru replied.

As he hummed the song in a continuous, soft loop, Kaoru relaxed more and more before Hikaru felt his even breath on his neck. Still humming, Hikaru gently laid his brother back down and covered him up, standing up slowly,

Kaoru curled up around a pillow, a tiny smile on his lips.

Hikaru stroked his forehead. "Your favorite lullaby," Hikaru whispered. "You only ever said that when I sang it to you."

He turned and headed back into the bathroom to put on some clothes.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hope you liked it! Didn't take as long as I thought it would for revisions; maybe you'll like this one better than the other. Hopefully! Leave a review for if I should skip straight to Saturday for Chapter Eight.


	8. Chapter 8 - Reflections

**~Edit~**

**Okay, this is the ENTIRE chapter eight!**

**I just love tormenting the characters 8DDD**

**Yeah, yeah, still the most creative of my critisicms? "This is so non-canon it hurts." -_- I understand that. It is supposed to be non-canon for a _reason_. It's called _fanfiction_.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Once in the bathroom, Hikaru let his towel drop and sighed, running one hand through his hair. He stopped as he caught sight of himself in the mirror.

His face was pale, his hair ruffled, his eyes dull from lack of sleep. He could see the faintest outlines of his ribs against his smooth chest. His shoulder blades stood out starkly against his back. He slowly let his hands rest back at his sides.

_"I think I'm falling for Kaoru."_

_"I wasn't looking anyone over, but if I was, it wouldn't have been Megan Stallion."_

Hikaru winced as each recollection struck through his mind, sharp as a physical blow. Whenever he saw his brother and Megan together, something hot and furious rose in his chest like lava, threatening to overflow.

_"That's some temper you've got there. Aren't you a bit old for that?" _

_"Don't pretend like you weren't upset too."_

_"Well, maybe I was, but I'm more rational than you. I don't think I've ever seen you act so selfishly before, like a little child. Haruhi was surprised."_

_"Well, I couldn't help it. I was really upset, but I can't figure out why."_

"But I can't figure out why," Hikaru repeated to himself in a whisper. It was true. He hadn't been eating properly since Kaoru had fallen ill. He had hardly slept a night through since Kaoru had gone off on him at the ball. His grades had slipped drastically since Megan had transferred.

_But I can't figure out _why.

Hikaru stared at the mirror. His shallow half stared back. More images and sounds flashed into his head.

_"Hey, Hikaru, is it alright if Megan comes home with us today? She's helping me study for my Foreign Language exam."_

Hikaru clenched one fist.

_"Hikaru, where's Kaoru? Is he okay?"_

His shoulder tensed.

_"I hate you, Hikaru. I hate you so, so much…"_

_"I'll stop by on Saturday to check on you, if you like."_

_"Are you feeling okay, Kaoru? I—"_

Hikaru didn't register he was moving until his fist slammed hard into the mirror. It shattered against his hand and sliced open his knuckles and fingers, blood running from the cuts. Pieces of glass showered into the sink.

Hikaru gripped the edge of the countertop with both hands, tight, and bent his head over the sink, shaking. He had never been fantastic at dealing with his emotions, and he wasn't any better now.

A sob gripped his shoulders as two perfect ovals of water splashed into the sink, mixing with the blood-stained glass.

_"I think I'm falling for Kaoru."_

"Damn it all," Hikaru sobbed, jerking his hands from the countertop and putting his elbows on it, covering his face with his hands. "Damn it all."

_I can't keep my emotions in check when I see Kaoru with Megan. _

_I can't keep my emotions together when I hear one of them talk about the other._

_I can't keep my cool when they're side-by-side, so close their shoulders touch._

_But I can't figure out why!_

**The Next Morning**

Kaoru woke up the next morning feeling thirstier than he thought he had ever felt in his life. He sat up groggily, blinking away sleep and trying to wet his dried lips. Hikaru was nowhere in sight.

"Hikaru?" he called in a raspy voice. There wasn't an answer.

Kaoru struggled out of bed, worried, and called his brother's name again. The silence rang heavy in his ears.

Standing on trembling knees, Kaoru stumbled toward the door to their bedroom and pulled it open. That simple movement left him dizzy with exhaustion.

A familiar male figure was striding down the hallway, and Kaoru felt a great weight lifted off of his chest when he saw him. Shining brown eyes, a mess of hair matching Kaoru's own—

"Dad," he said, a grin splitting over his lips.

"Hey, son," his father said with a return smile, holding out his arms. "Do I get a hug?"

Kaoru embraced his father for a moment before he pulled away, the world tipping in front of him, and said, "Have you seen Hikaru?"

"According to the maids, he went for a walk about an hour ago and said he would be back before you got up." His father's face took on an expression of worry. "You look terrible, Kaoru. Have you been eating? You know what they say—"

"Feed a fever, starve a cold, I know, Dad," Kaoru joked, rolling his eyes. He leaned against the wall and rubbed his forehead with one hand. "I haven't been able to keep anything down for more than an hour, though."

"How long have you been sick?"

"Saturday night, Sunday morning," the younger twin mumbled. He closed his eyes and sort of melted against the wall. "Where did Hikaru say he was going?"

"Just for a walk. Your mother and I got home about a half-hour ago, and I was coming to see you." Mr. Hitachiin eyed his youngest son in worry. "You should get back to bed, Kaoru."

"Mm-hmm…"

"Here, let me help you. You look like you're about to collapse."

"Dad, I can do it…"

But Kaoru allowed his father to help him anyway.

Hikaru raised his hand and rapped on the front doors to the Suoh Mansion. There was a moment of silence before the door opened and an elderly maid stood in front of Hikaru.

"Why, hello, Mr. Hitachiin, what a pleasant surprise," she said with a smile. "Tamaki is up in his room."

"Thank you, Shiva."

As Hikaru ascended the main stairs, he couldn't help but pull his right hand from his pocket and look at the cuts that still remained. The scabs were rather unsightly, considering they had reopened in the night and Hikaru had woken up to the sickening smell of blood.

He sighed and paced down the long hallway to Tamaki's room. School had been called off for a day because of teacher in-service, so Hikaru had known the only person he could go to—the only person who would just listen and not give him advice, actually _listen_ without being sidetracked by anything else—was Tamaki.

He knocked on the door and called wearily, "Boss, I'm coming in."

"Hikaru?" Tamaki opened the door before the Hitachiin brother had a chance to. "You okay? Where's Kaoru?"

"He's at home, still sleeping," Hikaru mumbled, rubbing at his hand. Tamaki glanced down at it.

"Oh, Hikaru, you're hurt. Here—get in here. I'll call down for some bandages."

As Hikaru sat heavily on the edge of Tamaki's plush king-size bed with the satin curtains, Tamaki knelt in front of him and took the younger's hand between his, examining it.

"These are some nasty cuts," Tamaki said gently. "What did you do, put your hand through a window?"

"Close. Try a mirror."

Tamaki frowned, letting the dusty-haired boy's hand go and rising to his feet. He sat beside him on the bed, one long leg crossed over the other. "What's wrong, Hikaru? I know you didn't just come here for bandages. You need to talk."

Hikaru sighed. "I don't understand it, Tamaki. I don't understand why I get so mad at Kaoru and Megan whenever I see them. When she asks about him, I have to check my tongue to make sure I don't say something snide. When Kaoru invites her over, I have to keep from snapping at them both because I get so jealous. When Kaoru got sick and Megan doted over him and constantly asked about him all night at the ball, I had to grit my teeth and force my anger down. But I can't figure out why."

Tamaki gave him a sort of sad smile. "Your world is still so small, Hikaru," he said wistfully. "It's such a shame."

He stood. "Here's an idea. Why don't you talk to Kaoru about it?" He cocked his head a bit, eyes sparkling. "I'm sure that Kaoru wouldn't hesitate to talk with you. Even over something like this, your bond with your brother is stronger than anything."

**Back at the Hitachiin Manor**

Kaoru roused from his state of half-sleep when the door opened and shut again, and a soft breath escaped the person. He opened his eyes. Hikaru kept his hand on the door handle, head bowed, eyes half-closed. His right hand was limp at his side. His hand, from just below his wrist halfway up each finger, was bandaged, the slim fingers bandaged separately.

Kaoru sat up drowsily. "Hikaru? You're hurt."

Hikaru turned. He smiled a bit. "Ah—I'm fine, Kaoru."

Even in his sick, stuffy state, Kaoru didn't miss the way the smile was forced uncomfortably, and the way Hikaru's eyes met his for a brief second before dancing away.

Kaoru swung his legs out of bed. "Hikaru, come here. Let me see."

The elder twin tucked his hand behind his back. "I'm fine."

"Hikaru, please." He stood up and, balancing on unsteady legs for a moment, walked toward his brother. Hikaru pressed back against the door.

Kaoru stopped.

For a moment, their identical golden eyes met, and Kaoru saw what he had refused to see before—denial, pain, hurt, loss, frustration, and anger all at the same time. It was carried in the light dancing dimly in Hikaru's eyes, the tightness of his jaw, his stark cheekbones and collarbones.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked. "You know you can talk to me, right? If something's wrong, if it's something I've done, you _know_ you can talk to me."

"It's nothing you've done," Hikaru muttered, but the way he stared at his socks made Kaoru think otherwise.

"Hikaru, what did I do?" he pressed, holding out his hands pleadingly. "Please, tell me what I've done. I don't want to hurt you. I want to know what I did that upset you."

Something new lit in Hikaru's eyes. Fury.

"Then stop being in love with Megan."

Kaoru took a step backwards. "What?"

"Stop being in love with her!" Hikaru repeated, voice rising in anger. "You don't understand how much pain I'm in! You have no idea how I _feel_, seeing you two together! You have no idea how much it _hurts_!"

Hikaru's cheeks were flushed angrily, and he jammed the back of his uninjured hand against his mouth hard. Kaoru's wide eyes were fixed on his brother's tear-filled ones.

"Hikaru, I-I…" Kaoru tried.

"No, just…leave me alone." Hikaru's voice broke.

He spun on his heel and threw open the door, dashing out into the hall and away from his twin. It wasn't until he was outside of the mansion again, in the backyard, did he relish in the tears falling down his cheeks.

Alone, quiet, and tired, Hikaru let them out.


	9. Intermission - HELP ME

**A/N EDIT - SUPER IMPORTANT**

**Chapter Nine will be even more delayed than it should be.  
We just got our OAAs over with and final exams and everything...**

**But I'm failing algebra.**

**I can't focus on anything right now except trying to bring my grade up in the last twenty-four days of school.**

**Chapter Nine probably won't come up until beginning-to-middle of June. **

**I'm so, so, so sorry, guys, but my parents will absolutely kill me if I get anything less than a C in any class, and I already have a C in science. I really have to focus on my schoolwork right now, and I can't divide my time well enough between school, 4H, marching band, and concert band as it is, much less throw in writing on top of it all.**

**Once school is out, I have to take two weeks of summer gym class to get my credits for high school so I can take concert band all through high school. After that, I will have a lot more time to write between just that and 4H.**

**Again, I'm so sorry that it's taking me so long. But I have to bring my grades up and I can't focus right now.**

**I'm so sorry, guys :'(**

** /3 Flame**

* * *

Okay, okay, I know this isn't a chapter. I'm going to replace this with chapter nine once I get it up.

Let me get a few things out of the way right now.

1. I'm so, so sorry, loyal followers! I know I promised chapter nine a lot sooner, but you wouldn't believe the block I'm on right now! I haven't been able to write anything good for two entire months! I'm so close to losing it! I can't get into a mood for writing anything, and when I do, I don't have my laptop or notebooks or anything, and by the time I get the chance to write, the mood is gone.

2. Okay, those are all excuses. The real thing is: It's not up. It's not _started_. So I'm here to throw myself upon your mercy and ask, beg, plead, for help. I'm not above begging. Groveling is good for the soul.

I need ideas! I know how this thing is going to end, but I don't know where to go to _get _to that.

If you have any ideas, please, please, please let me know. You will get credited.

I'm not going to get over this block on my own.

So I'm getting off my high-horse and asking for help, because _I can't take this writers block anymore._ Take a picture: It's a rare occurence, me asking for help.

Leave a review if you have any ideas. While you're doing that, I'll be in my corner growing mushrooms with my frustrated tears.

(If you grow mushrooms with frustrated tears, would they be frustrated mushrooms?)


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